Murder in House (27 page)

‘And they used drugs,' said Ellie, making it a statement.

Ursula gave her a straight look. ‘Yes, some of them did. I didn't, nor did Dan or Mia. Lloyd didn't either.'

‘How did they get the drugs?'

‘Through one of the boys, nicknamed Bullseye.' Ursula shivered. ‘I never liked him. He got the nickname because he said he always scored when he wanted a girl. I wondered for ages how he managed it, because I thought he was repulsive.'

‘He used the date rape drug, Rohypnol?'

‘I don't know,' said Ursula, a little wildly. ‘Tim warned Mia and me never to touch a drink that he'd handled but, as to proof, I don't know. None of us four were into sex. I didn't because my periods have always been all over the place, I couldn't settle on the Pill, and I daren't risk it. Mia didn't because she hadn't found anyone who turned her on that way yet. Lloyd didn't, from principle. Dan was unsure of himself. If I'd encouraged him . . . but I didn't. So he didn't.

‘We thought ourselves a cut above the others because we didn't indulge in casual sex and drink ourselves silly every weekend. Stupid, stupid! It never occurred to me that I might be targeted as a pair of legs, because I was with Dan, and Dan was Timothy's friend. Naturally, I thought the gang would respect that, and that they'd respect Mia because she was a Prior. I didn't see the price tag until too late.'

Mrs Belton allowed a frown to crease her forehead. ‘My mother always said nice girls sing for their supper. Wasn't that enough?'

‘Not in their circle, but I didn't realize it for ages. At first the price tag wasn't too high. They wanted Dan to wangle them some tickets for the tennis club dance for free. He was doing some coaching for the club, so it was easy for him to pinch some. It was ridiculous, because of course they could have afforded to pay, but it amused them to get something for nothing. I wasn't too happy when I heard about it, but Dan said the Priors had promised him a job at the new Health Centre when it opened, so it was all in the family, like. He was dead keen on getting that job, and doing them a favour here or there seemed, well, not a problem.

‘Anthony was the leader of the group. Last year he started to pay me more attention, flattering me, asking me to help outsiders feel at ease at their parties. The first time it was some decrepit old man whose wife had recently died. He had goggly eyes and all the while I was dancing with him, I was making fun of him behind his back. That was not very nice of me, particularly since he was pathetically grateful for my company. I didn't realize what I was doing, then.

‘The next time they had a party at their house, Anthony asked me to pretty up to a stupid-looking rich boy straight from school: all sweaty hands, obviously way out of his depth. I was sorry for the poor creature, and spent most of the evening with him. He was nice.' Tears stood out on her cheeks. ‘Only, later on I heard they'd got him into a poker game after I left, and taken thousands off him. They laughed, said he could afford it and that I'd done a good job, but I began to feel . . . dirty. Used. I told Dan I wasn't going to play that game any more. I said I wasn't one of their groupies, jumping through hoops for money. Dan was worried, said we had to be careful not to get on the wrong side of the Priors. That was when I decided to accept my father's invitation to go to New York in the new year.

‘Dan said I'd have to put in an appearance at the Grand Opening, even if it was only for a few hours before I flew out, and of course I agreed. He gave me a wonderful designer dress for Christmas. It was a bit short, but I wore it to please him. Only, when we got there, Anthony said he wanted me to “look after” one of the guests, some rich Middle Eastern princeling. He said that was my job for the night. He complimented me on the dress, which he said he'd told Dan to put on his account at the shop. I felt like tearing it off there and then, but of course I didn't. I told Dan how I felt, and he said it didn't matter if I cosied up to this chap because I was due to fly out in the early hours of the next morning.

‘So I did as Anthony asked and flirted with the man, only to discover he thought I was his for the night. Not just the evening. I was furious. I ran off to find Anthony and told him I didn't play those sort of games, and anyway, didn't he know I was going to America that night? He was livid, because he hadn't known. He said I owed him. Even the dress I had on . . .!

‘I fled to the ladies and found Mia there, in tears. She said Anthony had fixed her up for the night with one of the councillors, and he'd had his paws all over her, and she couldn't bear it. Anthony had said she should pull her weight for once, that the Priors needed some contract or other from the council, and her “friend” was going to fix it for them if Mia were
nice
to him.

‘I couldn't think what to do. I mean, I was getting out of there, resolving never to have anything to do with the Priors ever again, but Mia . . . she suggested coming to see me off at Heathrow just to get away from the party, and I agreed. We stayed in the ladies till it was time for me to go. Only, when we came out, Anthony was waiting for us. And Dan. To do him justice, Dan put his arm around me, told Anthony that I was off limits and that he was taking me out to Heathrow that minute. Anthony didn't like it. He glowered at me. Said he'd catch up with me on my return.

‘He got Mia to stay by saying the councillor had already gone home, very annoyed that she'd disappointed him. He said some of the gang were moving upstairs for a private party, and he'd see she got home safely afterwards. She looked at me, hoping I'd ask her to come away with us, but Dan whispered in my ear that it was our last evening together, and I refused to take the hint. If only I'd known!'

‘How dare Anthony!' Mrs Belton was indignant.

‘Easily,' said Ursula. ‘He'd paid for me, you see. In advance. With patronage, with parties and lifts in fast cars, and with a stunning dress. Only, I hadn't read the price tag.'

Ellie nodded. ‘Corruption. Little by little. But you got away.'

‘Oh yes, I got away and did a lot of thinking. I realized how nearly I'd become one of the good-time party girls that I despised. I worried that Dan was allowing it to happen. He came to the airport to meet me on my return, and that's when he told me about Lloyd's accidental death. I couldn't believe my ears. The way Dan told it to me – he hadn't been there when it happened, of course – but he seemed uneasy about it himself, saying he was sure there was nothing wrong really. He, well, he protested too much. At one point he blurted out that Timothy had been involved in some way, but then retracted what he'd said. You remember Dan and Timothy had been friends for ever?

‘I asked Dan what Mia had said about it, because she and Lloyd had been good friends; not lovers, but friends. I told him I'd been trying to reach Mia for days but she wouldn't answer her phone, and that's when Dan said that Mia had been disowned by her family because she'd been sleeping around. There was no way I could go along with that. Mia wasn't like that, she wasn't! I was so upset, I let fly at him, and he . . . he said I was being stupid and ungrateful, and couldn't see which side my bread was buttered.'

She swiped her hands across her cheeks to get rid of her tears. ‘We quarrelled, and I saw what I'd known for ever, but never acknowledged before: that Dan was not as strong as me, and that I couldn't rely on him when the chips were down. That was such a terrible moment, I couldn't think what to do or say. My future had been all laid out for me for years and if I broke with Dan I knew I'd be so lonely, so alone. Dan seemed to think I'd given in, that I'd “seen sense and would behave myself” in future. In other words, go along with Anthony's little plans. I didn't disabuse him.

‘The next day I caught up with Anthony at the club, surrounded by some of his pals. I challenged him about Mia. He repeated the slander. I told him he was a liar, and that he could count me out in future. He got his mates to hold me while he assaulted me, pulled up my skirts and . . . no, mother, he didn't rape me. Worse, in a way. He tickled me till I was helpless, and then, when at least one of his pals was getting red in the face, he said, “Hold back, men, I've got other plans for her”. And he let me go.

‘I couldn't confide in you, Mother, because you were really poorly, and I didn't want to worry you when there was nothing you could do about the situation. I rang Mia's home, and got nowhere. I went to the police, ditto. I knew I couldn't go through with the engagement to Dan, but I couldn't face seeing him again. I've been so fond of him for so long, I thought I might break down and go back to him. That's when I decided to spend a day in a church where I knew no one would look for me. I needed to get everything straight in my mind, and then go back to uni early. And that, Mrs Quicke, is how I came to meet you and ask for your help. I do apologize for dragging you into this mess, but if I hadn't, Mother would have been left in a terrible state, so I'm thankful that I did.'

‘Yes,' said Ellie, thinking through what the girl had said. ‘I'm glad too. So you think Anthony wants you back, in order to sleep with his client? And Mia? Do you have a theory about what happened to her, and why Lloyd died?'

‘I think . . . I don't know. I didn't dare imagine, it's so horrible. But if Mia was being raped at the party upstairs, then Lloyd would have tried to stop it. Perhaps he was dealt with because of what he'd seen? Perhaps Mia knows something? I suspect that if I wander back into Anthony's orbit now, I'll end up like Mia.'

Mrs Belton opened her mouth to express her horror at what she'd heard, but Ursula forestalled her.

‘I know, Mother. Your little girl has been extremely stupid, and foolish, and I'm responsible for getting the flat wrecked, and I'm very, very sorry.'

‘Talking of the attack on your mother,' said Ellie, ‘Have you ever known Anthony wear a Halloween-type mask?'

‘Why? Yes, of course. Tim bought a whole lot of masks for their last Halloween party and they went out with the invitations: Draculas, skeletons and animal heads, you name it. As it happened, we didn't go to the party. Lloyd hates – hated – Halloween, so he got the four of us tickets to see
The Lion King
. It was great.'

‘So there were plenty of masks going spare after Halloween?'

‘Sure.'

‘Do you know of any group of youngsters who might have got hold of the masks, and hide behind them to commit acts of antisocial behaviour?'

Ursula's eyes went blank. She hesitated. Looked down and away. ‘No, I don't.' She looked at her watch. ‘Mother, we ought to be going. Ten minutes to catch the train. Mrs Quicke, you've been so kind. May I ring you now and again to catch up on the news? And you won't look to see which train we catch, will you?'

She'd lied, thought Ellie. Ursula did know something about the masked gang, but didn't want to say. Why not? We–ell, it could just be that Daniel was involved, and she would still want to protect him, even now. Or, was there another explanation?

FIFTEEN

E
llie rang Thomas from the railway station. ‘They've just gone, and I'm on my way back. I'm going to call in at the police station on the way. Everything all right at your end?'

‘That Grace woman rang; wants you to go to the cinema with her this afternoon. I made your apologies. Pat's gone down with a sore throat again, so I told her to take the day off. Nothing much in the post, but young Daniel Collins has been on the phone twice. Says he's recovered Mrs Belton's laptop and wants to know where he can find her to give it back. Alternatively, should he come over and give it to you. I know he's supposed to be on the side of the angels—'

‘Possibly not as angelic as we'd thought.'

‘Ah. Reason?'

‘I'm not sure. Something to do with those masks. Oh, it's probably nothing.'

‘Well, we'd been so careful so far that I decided against giving him your address. I said you were up in town and returning by way of the police station and he got quite agitated. Said he must see you before you do anything silly.'

‘He thinks it would be silly to go to the police?'

‘That's what he said. I suggest that if you do meet him, it's in a public place. A coffee shop, perhaps?'

‘Before or after I visit the police station? We have a fair amount of new information to give them—'

‘But no proof. Have we?'

Ellie sighed. ‘I love you, Thomas. Give me Dan's phone number and I'll meet him in Ealing Broadway to hear what he has to say. It's too cold for a salad. I'll stop there to have something to eat before I come on home.'

Ellie watched Daniel enter the upstairs lounge of the café and look around for her. She wondered if he would have changed as much as Ursula had since they first met, and thought that yes, he looked grimmer, and darker around the chin. He was carrying a worn laptop.

She pushed her empty plate aside, and beckoned him over. He put the laptop on the table before her, and seated himself. Nervous? Mm. Yes. There was a nick on his cheek where he'd cut himself shaving. His clothes were a black Puffa jacket over jeans. No leather jacket; not that she believed he'd been one of the lads who'd attacked Mrs Belton.

‘Thanks for meeting me,' he said. ‘I've been so worried. Nobody's heard anything from Ursula or Mrs Belton. Do you know where they are?'

‘Not precisely, no. I understand they've gone off on a short holiday together somewhere. Very distressed by what's been happening.'

He reddened. ‘It's been a total shambles. Everyone's buzzing around like anything. We really need her back.'